‘Silver Alert’ for missing seniors becomes law
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Patrol will send out special alerts statewide when mentally impaired seniors go missing, under a new law signed Wednesday.
Starting in August, when a person who is 60 or older and diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s goes missing, a “Silver Alert” will be issued through the agency’s Endangered Missing Person Advisory system.
Information will be posted on freeway signs, included in highway advisory radio messages and in some cases shared with local media outlets.
The process will be similar to the Amber Alert system for abducted children except the emergency broadcast system will not be activated for missing adults as it is for children.
The signing of House Bill 1021 by Gov. Jay Inslee culminates several years of legislative efforts. It passed 43-0 in the Senate and 88-4 in the House.
“It is so simple. It is about compassion and mercy and responsibility,” said Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, the bill’s sponsor and a member of the Washington State Council on Aging.
Sixty percent of seniors with dementia will wander at some point, she said. “We just want to give them a fighting chance,” she said.
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http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150611/NEWS01/150619850
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